


big boys dont cry (on hiatus)

by taye_z



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Foster Family, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst, Attempt at Humor, Electricity, Electrocution, Fire, Foster Care, Found Family, Gen, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, Immortality, Invisibility, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Machines, Magic, Mind Control, Mind Reading, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Shapeshifting, Spirits, Superpowers, Telepathy, Water, eventually, im trying
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:00:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29214540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taye_z/pseuds/taye_z
Summary: Tommy's been from foster home to foster home. He can never settle down, and part of the blame is on the electricity humming under his skin.But then he gets sent to this rich house, where the family members are all "superheroes."That's where it went wrong.• • •title: the driver by bastille
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), i was gonna do relationship tagging but i got scared
Comments: 113
Kudos: 560





	1. chapter one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol i gave some people in this epic discord server im in cameos. you guys are all epic and this is my way of saying thanks for accepting me <3
> 
> if you are not part of the discord uhh theres gonna be references you dont get uhhh yep dont worry they’ll only be here for chapter one does that sound bad i hope not n e way enjoy!

This sucked.

Tommy kicked a pebble with as much force as he could. It bounded into the road, almost immediately getting run over by a car. He scowled, clutching the straps of his backpack angrily.

This world sucked. That was Tommy’s hot take. People with powers either get praised and become celebrities or are left at an orphanage at the ripe age of six because their parents didn’t want to deal with some kid who had the misfortune of getting electricity powers.

Now that same kid was walking down the road, alone and bruised, quite literally kicked out of yet another “caring” foster family’s house. Tommy felt like screaming, like throwing his bag of meager supplies to the ground and zapping the nearest object. But no, that wouldn’t help, he would only look like a kid throwing a tantrum and then he would get angrier and maybe accidentally hurt someone and get taken to the police again. 

Tommy huffed, keeping his eyes down. He couldn’t wait until he could legally live on his own.

* * *

“Are you sure you’re doing alright?”

Tommy nodded, jerking his head quickly. Wise frowned, not even bothering to hide how concerned she was.

It had been a week or two since Tommy stomped his way back into the orphanage. He never liked the word orphanage. It made him think of old-fashioned, dirty, wooden houses and brown haired kids crying. Which, in all honesty, was somewhat true. The kids crying part, at least. It was a nightmare sleeping here, and the terrible beds didn’t make it any better.

Wise sighed, bringing Tommy back to attention. “If you’re sure?”

Tommy rolled his eyes with a huff, leaning back against the chair. “I’m fine.”

He wasn’t even lying this time. Most of his bruises had already faded, leaving him fresh and ready for the next house, where he would undoubtedly come back just as battered.

Wise ran a hand through her brown hair, flipping through papers. Wise was one of the nicest people Tommy had ever met. She had multiple kids of her own, like a lot, apparently. She said she would have taken in Tommy herself if not for her already large family. Once, the other adult she lived with, Kash or something like that, came and visited with one of their kids. The girl was only referred to as “luigi child,” which was weird, but she kept to herself and stuck with Kash. Tommy hadn’t seen either of them since.

Wise always tried her best to get Tommy into good places, although this effort usually fell flat. Tommy knew he could probably help somewhat, but the electricity humming in his body made him restless and angry, which led to him snapping and shocking someone or something.

Wise scanned a paper, eyes flicking up to give Tommy a soft smile. “You wanna hear about this next family?”

Tommy shrugged, picking beneath his nail. Wise took his silence in stride. She always did.

“Well, it’s a single father with two kids. He apparently adopted them when they were young. Philza, he’s the dad by the way, is a shapeshifter. He usually just has wings but I think he can do any animal form. Impressive. His kids both have powers, but for some reason they aren’t listed here.”

Tommy hummed, looking up for a second. “Another ‘this guy has powers and you do too so let’s put you together’ situation, then?”

Wise nodded, not one to sugarcoat situations. “They’re apparently well-known fighters and helpers. Which, of course, makes them rich and raises their social status.”

Tommy snorted. “And you think I fit in there?”

Wise shrugged, not bothering with that whole _This is a good opportunity, look they’re rich and famous don’t mess it up haha._ She was cool like that. “I just need to finish these up and then I can go drop you off. You have all your stuff?”

Tommy nodded, his backpack on the floor next to his chair. The two lapsed into a somewhat comfortable silence. Wise continued sorting through papers as Tommy fidgeted. He tapped his foot on the ground, pulled on his fingers, messed with the edge of his shirt, drummed his fingers on the armrest, whatever he could do to keep his mind away from that tiny shred of hope. The large majority of his hopes were dashed after the second house, yet some stupid part of him wished that this would be the one. But they’re “superheroes” (a lame term in his opinion, it just sounded stupid and childish), and dealing with an annoying, messy, big man like him would probably only last a week at most.

A week, that’s what he was betting on. Seven days until he gets ever-so-nicely booted out and comes back here with his head lowered. Not in shame, because he’s a big man, but you know, sadness, or whatever.

“I’m gonna go pee,” Tommy abruptly said, standing up. He kicked his backpack up to the wall. There was nothing valuable in it anyways, just some spare clothes and this old metal water bottle he couldn’t bring himself to get rid of, along with various other trinkets he got attached to.

“Alright,” Wise responded, scribbling something down. “We can get going once you come back, okay?”

Tommy grunted in response, letting the door shut behind him. He walked down the hallway with cold lights and tiled floors, pushing open the bathroom door. He locked it behind him, the click of the lock sounding more final than expected.

Tommy stood in front of the mirror, eyes narrowed at his reflection. “It’s fine. You’re fine,” he mumbled to himself.

It was alright that some rich famous dad with two perfect sons wanted to foster his sorry ass. It was alright! Tommy would just disappoint them as quickly as possible and get out of there. They probably wouldn’t even have time for him, since they fight crime and be good people. It was fine!

He tried smiling at himself in the mirror. It didn’t reach his eyes. That’s okay, he just needed to be himself and he would show the dad, Philip or whatever his name was, that he was a massive fucking disappointment. Then the happy family could go back to living their perfect life.

Tommy scooped water from the sink in his hand, splashing his face. The cheap, brown, crinkly paper towels were rough against his skin, but they did the job and got his face dry. 

Tommy shoved the door open. Wise jumped a little, but Tommy didn’t notice, moving to sling his backpack across one shoulder. Wise gathered all the papers, sliding them into a manila folder. Tommy studied his beat-up shoes, not noticing Wise come up next to him. Wise put a hand on his shoulder. Tommy would have liked to pretend he didn’t flinch from the sudden touch, but the smile on her face made it a bit better. “It’ll be alright.”

Tommy looked away. “Yeah, sure.”

Wise led him out to the parking lot, a trip Tommy had taken countless times now. Her sky blue SVU was parked in the same spot it always was, decorated with ironic bumper stickers. Tommy almost opened the door to get next to the driver seat, but there was already someone there, feet propped up on the dashboard and everything. She gave him an odd look, and Tommy backed away, getting into the back.

Wise had already gotten in, the car starting up with a purr of the engine. Tommy saw her glance at the person who stole his seat. Wise didn’t even look surprised. “Hey Kash.”

Oh, it was Kash, then.

“Hi,” Kash said.

Tommy sighed through his nose, letting his head rest against the window. Wise turned on the radio, and instantly quiet music started drifting out through the speakers.

“So, what are you doing here?” Tommy heard Wise ask.

Kash stretched, arms wrapping around the back of the headrest. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Kash, feet down. Your shoes are dirty,” Wise chided.

“There is one single grass stain,” Kash responded.

“That is _not_ just one grass stain.”

Tommy shut his eyes, leg bouncing restlessly as the two women bickered like an old married couple. He didn’t know how Kash got here or why, but at least he didn’t have to make small talk with Wise. He’s asked her what the worst word she knew too many times now.

Wise sighed, her annoyed facade betrayed by her relaxed grip on the steering wheel. “At least tell me you didn’t leave Cheeze in charge.”

Kash snorted. “No. Luigi child’s in charge.”

“Okay, good.”

The car came to a stop at a red light. Tommy drummed his fingers on his knee, mind relatively blank. Good. The less he thought about this new family, the better.

“Hm. My beloved, what’s your opinion on squirrels?” Kash asked. Maybe she saw a squirrel.

Wise huffed a laugh, turning left. “Why do you ask?”

Kash didn’t respond. Tommy sat up, seeing Kash’s reflection in the rearview mirror. She was looking out the window, the landscape reflected in her gold-rimmed glasses. The gold complimented her dark skin perfectly. Her eyes met Tommy’s in the mirror, and she gave him a smirk.

Wise twisted in her seat, pulling a buzzing phone out. She fumbled, one handed, before accepting the call. “Hello?”

Tommy heard a small voice speaking to Wise. There seemed to be a lot of background noise.

“Cheeze got on top of the fridge again?” Wise asked.

The voice escalated into a yell. Tommy heard something about _fruit snacks_ and _poison._

Wise sighed. “Okay, go get the spray bottle. Yeah, squirt Otter a few times. Oh- is that Cheeze? Yes, hi- No, Otter isn’t allowed to eat you. Or put you in a sock either. Don’t poison Blue, you twisted-”

There was a brief period of silence. Wise looked somewhat pained. “Don’t-Don’t poison Guppy. Or Kat. I don't want Lee sent on us again.”

The voice in the speaker escalated again to a shout. Wise held the phone a little bit away from her ear. "No- Jello isn't allowed- Eclipse is already dead, I don't need more ghost children on my hands. Stop Jello from running the Pit, it's not that hard, just get some ropes-"

Kash flicked an invisible speck from her black pants. “Tell luigi child we’ll bring home goldfish if they behave.”

Wise brought the car to a stop at another light. “Okay, Taye, you still there? Yeah-Okay, Kash told me to tell you… yeah, if everyone behaves you’ll all get goldfish.”

Tommy couldn’t hear any more feedback from the phone speaker, but he saw Wise’s face relax through the rearview mirror. That peace was short lived, however, as Wise furrowed her brow, bringing her phone away from her ear. “Hello? Kash, did you hang them up?”

“Yep,” Kash said, popping the ‘p.’ “You should focus on me now, my dearest.”

“Kash, my beloved, I am driving.” Wise tossed her phone to Kash, turning right as the light finally turned green.

“Okay.”

The car was suddenly driving down a very fancy and rich looking neighborhood. Tommy instantly knew he didn’t, no, _couldn’t_ belong here. But the car continued on, and Kash and Wise continued to squabble.

“Kash, our children were planning on poisoning the neighbors again.”

“Good for them.”

“Kash, my love, do you remember what happened the last time our children tried to host a ‘rebellion?’ Julia took Taye’s special necktie thing that she got from Aria, and everyone was speaking with L’ in front of their words.”

“Yeah, lol.”

“Did you seriously just say ‘lol’ out loud?”

“What are you gonna do? Kill me? You couldn’t if you tried.”

Wise abruptly slammed on the brakes, bringing the coasting SUV to a halt. Tommy jerked forward, the seat belt locking and preventing him from flinging headfirst into the seat in front of him. He would have started cussing Wise out, but Kash honestly scared him, and he would rather not get mauled by her.

“We’re here,” Wise announced, getting out.

Tommy grabbed his bag, flinging it across one shoulder. He stepped out of the car, and instantly wished he didn’t get kicked out of the old house.

The house, well it wasn’t really a house, more like a _mini mansion,_ in front of him looked like a house you would see online, think _wow that looks cool wish I could live there,_ then keep scrolling because you could never afford to live in such a house. Yeah, it was _that_ type. A cherry red Tesla sat in the driveway, along with a mildly beat-up black pick-up truck.

And Tommy was expected to live here for the next week or so.

Kash stuck her head out the window, Wise’s phone dangling from her hand. “Wise, Cheeze has a knife.”

Wise’s eyes widened in either shock or fear, Tommy couldn’t tell. “Oh no, okay, Tommy, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go.”

Wise rushed back to the car, starting it up quickly. Kash gave Tommy a peace sign, rolling the window up. “Make sure to drink lots of water and eat and get enough sleep!” were Wise’s last words before she drove away. Tommy watched her car, until it turned a corner and was gone.

Great. Absolutely great.

Tommy tugged the other strap over his shoulder, stepping up to the grand double doors. He studied them with an odd apprehension. Should he knock or ring the doorbell?

He settled for rapping his knuckles on the hard wood three times. Tommy stepped back, holding the straps of his back in a white-nuckle grip. He anxiously tapped his foot as he waited.

Nobody had come to the door yet, and Tommy was getting more and more worried. He didn’t exactly want to walk all the way back to the orphanage. He didn’t have a phone, so he couldn’t call Wise and tell her nobody was here. He wasn't too good at driving since he was self-taught, but even if he broke into the black truck he didn’t have the keys.

Tommy was moments away from starting the walk back when the door swung open with the smallest creak. A young boy stood in the entryway. He was wearing a tucked in button-up green shirt, which would have looked formal if not for the messy buttoning and part of the shirt being untucked. His black jeans were completely stainless. Nestled among his long brown hair were two nubs of horns. His ears were replaced with floppy ears, either from a ram or goat Tommy couldn’t tell.

“Oh! Hello, are you that kid Phil was expecting?” The boy said.

Tommy narrowed his eyes. “...Yes.”

The boy beamed. “Good! He was getting worried that you weren't actually gonna come.”

The boy turned and walked back into the house, revealing a little ram tail. Tommy slowly followed, stepping out of the bright sun into the house, pushing the door closed behind him. He wanted to bolt back out once his eyes adjusted to the change in lighting.

The foyer was fancy, two white marble pillars holding up an archway. The floors were squeaky and polished tile. Tommy was afraid of even stepping forward. He couldn’t see much from here, but he could see a huge spiral staircase in front of him, and there was probably a hallway behind it. A pretty light fixture hung from the ceiling, and Tommy knew he just didn’t belong here.

“Phil! He’s here!” The boy shouted into the house, echoing voice revealing just how large the house was. Tommy tensed a little at his yelling.

The boy turned back to him with that goofy grin. “I’m Tubbo! I work here, like I clean up the house and stuff.”

Tommy eyed ~~the boy~~ Tubbo. “I’m Tommy.”

“What’s your power?” Tubbo asked excitedly. “I’m a part shape-shifter, well not really, I can’t change form. Like I get the ram horns and stuff from… from my dad.” His smile wavered and his eyes dimmed momentarily. He quickly fixed his expression, but Tommy had already assessed the situation. Either the kid had trouble back at home, or he was working to get money for his dad.

Tommy finally registered that Tubbo was looking at him with an expecting face. “Oh, uh, I have, like, electricity.” He held up a hand and let some energy out. Light flashed between his fingers, a high-pitched cackling sound making Tubbo slap his hands over his sensitive ears. Tommy never had a problem with the sound, but it had bothered other people before.

It took a few moments of intense concentration to reign in the energy and make the electricity fizzle out. Tommy felt much more restless, extra energy almost released. He resisted against the urge to release everything pent up. He had never got rid of all the nervous voltage before, and he wasn’t about to now.

A man walking from behind the staircase interrupted his train of thought. He looked… well, he looked _normal,_ aside from the large, dark grey wings folded behind him. He didn’t look like some rich uptight man like Tommy expected, but he also didn't look like a mighty crime fighter.

“Hello! I’m Phil.” Phil stuck out his hand. Tommy hesitated a moment before accepting the offering hand.

Phil immediately snapped his hand back, surprise flickering across his face. Tommy flushed, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking away. “Sorry.”

“It’s no problem, mate. I should have expected to be shocked, you having electrokinesis and all.” Phil’s smile didn’t look strained like everybody else’s usually did whenever Tommy shocked them, but that didn’t make Tommy instantly lower his guard.

Tommy didn’t respond, but Phil didn’t seem mad. The man studied Tommy for a few moments that felt like hours, before turning to Tubbo. “Can you show Tommy his room? You don’t have to come down for dinner,” Phil added, looking back at Tommy with that stupidly nice smile.

"Of course, Phil!" Tubbo responded.

Phil turned back down the hallway with a "Thanks, Tubbo!" With his back turned, Tommy could see the huge wings from the back. There were two lighter gray diamonds near the tail feathers. That meant the wings probably weren't modeled after a real-life bird. What Tommy was going to do with this information, he didn't know. Maybe he could take the shape of mythical animals.

Well, Phil seemed normal. Tommy wondered how long that persona would last until Phil eventually snapped and sent him back. They all do, even the sweetest of older women and the most understanding of parents.

Tubbo started off towards the stairs, looking back at Tommy. “Well, come on, then!”

Tommy stepped forward, his worn down sneakers making no sound against the polished tile. He felt like he was committing a crime, walking on this clean floor with his slightly dirty shoes, but Tubbo also had shoes on, so maybe it was alright?

Tommy followed Tubbo up the carpeted stairs. Tommy was slightly surprised there was only one floor, but maybe there was a basement or something. He wouldn’t be surprised if there was. 

Tubbo led Tommy down a hallway. Tommy counted seven doors, three on each side and one at the very end. There were little tables in between each door, with some sort of vase or decorative object on them. Tubbo stopped at a door at the very end. He pointed to the one across. “That’s my room. This one,” he knocked on the final door, alone at the end of the hallway, “is the bathroom. Feel free to use it anytime. I mean, nobody's gonna stop you from pissing. And this one is yours.”

Tubbo pushed the door open, letting Tommy in first. Tommy slowly stepped inside, looking around. It looked… well, it looked like a rich hotel room. The bed was pushed up against a wall, thick fluffy blankets piled on top. There was a desk on the opposing side, although it was bare. A wooden closet was up against one wall, and white curtains were drawn over the large window. The dark grey carpet looked very plush and soft.

Tommy took a few more steps inside. Tubbo hesitated by the door, startling Tommy slightly when he suddenly spoke again.

“You know,” Tubbo started, kicking the ground, “Phil’s not bad. He doesn’t act all… richy ‘n stuff. Hell, I work for him, yet he treats me like his son.” Again, that sad, somber face. “Just- You don’t- I don’t know, I hope you like it here.”

He closed the door behind him, leaving Tommy in stunned silence.

Tommy blinked, shaking his head off all the confusing thoughts running through his head. Phil might be an okay person, but Tommy didn’t want to stay here. He hadn’t met the two sons yet, but Tommy could bet they were jerks. They always were.

He put his bag down on the desk. He didn’t get his clothes out. What would be the point?

Tommy kicked off his shoes before tentatively sitting on the edge of the bed. With a sigh, he laid back, staring at the ceiling. There were no cracks or water stains for him to study. Lame.

The bed felt soft and, Tommy begrudgingly admitted, very comfortable. He sighed through his nose, running a hand down his face.

There was no point getting comfortable. He would be gone sooner or later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kash and wise you both make me so indescribably happy, all of you do really. im so glad i met both of you. there are so many people in the discord, and im sorry if i wasnt able to include everyone, (that would just be too much), but i love you all (platonically ofc)! you guys are such an amazing and funny group of people, as chaotic as you are <3 (also kash and wise are minecraft married but its all platonic! i couldnt write real romance even if i tried) (also also kash has the power to control technology i tried to include it by her ending the phone call but uh felt i should point that out lmao)
> 
> ive wanted to write this idea for a while and finally got around to doing it. lets hope i dont end up abandoning it haha lol lmao xd that would be unfortunate unpoggers if you will


	2. chapter two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tommy meets one of phil’s sons, and finds out his powers in the span of a minute. tommy’s just cool like that.

The room was completely silent, which was a new experience for Tommy. There would always be some noise in the older homes, whether that be younger kids crying or talking, the adults yelling, or the air conditioner or heater running. Sometimes there was the sound of dishes clinking, or obnoxiously loud children’s cartoons, or rarely a band kid, playing the clarinet as horribly as possible.

But here he was, the only noise the faint static in his ears and his heartbeat in his chest.

Tommy decided he hated it.

He sat up, swinging his legs off the bed. He silently crept up to the door, pressing his ear to the evenly painted wood. After a few moments of quietly listening, he determined nobody was outside ~~his~~ the room. He grabbed the doorknob, noticing there was a lock on it. He never had a room with a lock before.

Tommy shook that thought for now, slowly swinging the door open. The hinges were well oiled, and didn’t squeak once. 

Tommy stepped into the carpeted hallway. His socked feet made no noise as he took a few more steps out. He wasn't sure what exactly he was looking for. Anything that generated some sort of background noise would be good for him. 

Tommy crossed Tubbo's room off the list. Tubbo seemed pretty alright and Tommy didn't want to ruin that relationship by stealing something from his room. That left the other four bedrooms.

Tommy chose to poke around in the room next to Tubbo's, for no particular reason at all. Tommy softly twisted the handle, the door swinging open just as silently as the other before.

The room was vastly different from Tommy's. Instead of being boring shades of white and grey, this room was much livelier, dressed in hues of multiple colors. A classic wooden guitar hung on the wall, a keyboard underneath it. Oh joy, a band kid.

Tommy spotted a small clock on the mess of a nightstand. There were a tangle of wires hidden in the thick carpet, connecting to amps and other recordings devices. He managed to make it to the nightstand without tripping and falling in his face. He quickly snatched the clock, retreating from the band kid's room as fast as silently possible. 

Tommy closed the door behind him, a huge grin on his face. Mission accomplished.

He trotted back to the room, opening the door with little care about being secretive. A sudden voice froze him in his tracks.

“What are you doing?”

Tommy, making a split second decision, threw the clock into the room as stealthily as he could manage. He turned to the confronter with his hands behind his back. Just act casual, make the boy leave him alone. Simple.

The person who “caught” him looked maybe two years older than him. He was, well, he was attractive in that soft boy way. Curly, dark brown hair flopped into his face, slightly covering silver rimmed glasses. He was wearing a yellow sweater and black pants, the sweater tucked in at the bellybutton fashionably.

Huh. So this was the band kid? He certainly looked the part.

Wait, Wise had said that Phil’s sons both had powers. What did this guy have? Teleportation? Something lame like superspeed? Maybe mind reading?

_Hey bitch! Are you reading my mind right now?_ Tommy thought as loud as possible.

The boy’s lip twitched as if he was about to respond, hands flinching as if to move to cover his ears.

_Aha! You’re a mind reader!_

“H-How-” He sounded shocked. What a loser.

Tommy smirked at him. “Doesn’t bother me. Just don’t go telling everyone what I think, got it?”

_I have the coolest thoughts. I think about so many women. Do you like women? Women love me. I bet you can’t say the same, you lonely little soft boy. OoOoOo, you play the guitar, what a hottie. Is that what the girls say?_

The guy’s face furrowed into a small frown.

Oh, Tommy was gonna have so much fun messing around with this guy. Until he got kicked out. That put a small damper on his mood.

“Well! This was fun.” Tommy stepped into his room, slamming the door. The door made a satisfying _bang_ sound being shut with that much force. Nice.

A new clock ticked away on Tommy’s nightstand, filling the air with faint clicks.

Now he knew one of the powers of the sons. Mind reading didn’t seem that powerful in a crime-fighting scenario, but who knows. Maybe he could do mind control. That would be cool.

Mission double accomplished.

* * *

According to Tommy’s new clock, it was exactly 4:53 in the afternoon.

And Tommy was bored.

Boredom was a feeling Tommy was used to. It was hard to sit still for long, restlessness always a few minutes away.

Tommy poked around the room, exploring every little corner. He didn’t really want to go explore everyone else’s rooms, and if he explored the house he would get cornered and expected to conversate. No, thanks, he would rather be stuck in this room.

But this was getting so _boring._

Tommy found himself flinging the window open. He could see out into an impressive backyard. It was basically a miniature forest, only defined by the wooden fence separating the backyards from one another and the small stretch of grass before the trees.

His body seemed to move by itself. He popped the screen from the window, tossing it onto the thick carpet behind him. The window was quite big, large enough for Tommy to sit on the outside sill without having to hunch over uncomfortably. He watched his feet swing. At some point he must have put his shoes on, messily tied shoelaces dangling downwards.

Tommy calculated the distance to the ground. He’s jumped from this height, hell, _higher_ heights before. The wall was brick, so he could probably climb back up. Probably.

He twisted, and suddenly he was dangling by the sill by his fingertips. His hands let go on their own accord, and he was promptly dropped into one of the bushes lining the side of the house.

Tommy hissed multiple curses, pushing and struggling until he was freed. He was probably all covered in sticks and grass and leaves like some sort of feral animal. He glared at the bush, flipped it off, and turned to the forest.

He slipped away into the trees, unnoticed by the inhabitants of the house. The trees were much thicker than they looked from a distance. Why were these stupid group of trees so close together?

Tommy stopped, feet halting in their tracks.

What was he doing?

Something buzzed, and he felt the electricity wreath across his hand and arm.

Oh.

Tommy took a deep breath, setting his back to a tree. He raised both hands, and ever so carefully unscrewed the metaphorical cap to his limitless supply of voltage.

Almost immediately, cackling tendrils of light scattered across both his arms. He gasped slightly. It took everything in his power not to completely let everything loose. Letting out this much felt so freeing, yet he itched to release it all in a large blast.

He couldn’t. Last time he did that, well, it hadn’t ended well. At all.

For now, Tommy rode the high, simultaneously keeping it under control. His arms tingled pleasantly, and soon his ankles shared the same feeling.

Tommy’s eyes snapped back open, glancing down almost wildly. The grass was smoldering around his feet, snakes of lightning curling around his feet.

Okay, that was enough.

Some part of him yelled in disappointment, yet Tommy put all concentration into roping it all back in.

It started with his feet, the light fizzling out with a few sparks. Now came the hands and arms, the much harder parts.

Tommy squeezed his eyes shut, trying to close off the source of energy flowing across his arms. Ever so slowly, the energy retreated back to where it came, and with a few more moments of intense focusing, the light hummed one more second, two, and then it was gone.

Tommy sagged against the tree, an odd combination of exhaustion and excitement making his head hurt. He hated doing that, but he had no knowledge of any other way to let the energy out.

With a sigh, he pushed off the tree, heavy feet dragging back to the house. The only evidence he was ever there was the small patch of darkened grass.

The climb back into the room would have been hard enough without his hands feeling like they were dragging through honey. He wouldn’t be proud to admit he slipped multiple times, almost falling every single time he pulled himself up.

Finally, by some miracle, his fingers found the ledge, and he pulled himself into the room, tired yet triumphant. Tommy collapsed on the carpet, taking a moment to catch his breath. Some hysterical part of his mind told him he would be a good rock climber.

Eventually, he forced himself back to his feet. Tommy swayed, and he had to slam a hand on the wall to steady himself. He groaned, rubbing his eyes. Slowly, he shuffled his way over to his backpack, discarded on the desk. Despite the exhaustion weighing at his bones, his mind felt wide awake, buzzing thoughts flashing around like some sort of background noise. 

He rummaged around in the bag, eventually grasping a small pill bottle. He shook two out into his hand, and after gathering enough spit in his mouth he swallowed them with ease. They weren't anything fancy, just some brand sleeping pills he stole from a particularly rough house a while back. They helped shut his mind down so he could actually sleep.

Tommy stumbled over to the bed, not bothering to get under the sheets. He did remember to kick his shoes off before falling onto the bed.

After a few minutes of the weird limbo he was stuck in, the pills did their work, and he fell asleep in an instant.

* * *

_A little boy ran around the house, loud giggling filling the air with warmth._

_A man chased him, laughing along. The mother was in the kitchen, cooking something for dinner._

_“You can’t catch me!” the boy yelled._

_He shrieked as his father put on a burst of speed, loud laughs echoing through the small living room. “I’m gonna get you!”_

_The boy squealed. Suddenly a buzzing filled his ears, making him trip over his feet and tumble to the wooden floor with a small “oof.”_

_Usually, the boy would burst into tears, falling like that. But something was happening, something weird and new, and it distracted him from the small pain in his kneecaps._

_He turned to his dad, who had frozen, still in that awkward crouch. His mother had come from the kitchen, a towel tight in her grasp. The happy atmosphere was gone, a far cry from what the boy felt now. It almost made him cry, but he was a big boy._

_Big boys don’t cry._

_“He’s got lightning,” his mother whispered, sounding horrified._

_They don’t ask why._

_The dinner was eaten in a tense silence, the boy suddenly afraid of something he didn’t understand. Whatever it was that made his parents sneak glances at him, whispering hushed between each other, must be a bad, horrible thing, right?_

_His parents sent him to his bed early that night. He didn’t protest like he usually did, silently leaving the room. He sat on his bed, legs hugged against his chest. His favorite blanket was draped across his shoulders, but it brought little comfort._

_His parents never came to say goodnight to him. He tried to stay awake for them, but he eventually fell asleep from pure exhaustion._

_The next morning, his dad said he wanted to take him on a trip. He was told to go get a backpack and fill it with everything he wanted to bring. The kid wanted to bring everything, to somehow stuff his entire room into his brand new backpack. But he didn’t, instead shoving his blanket and a picture of him and his parents in the bag. He didn’t know why he grabbed them, because he was surely coming back, right?_

_His mother gave him a tight hug. “Be safe, Tom. I’m so sorry. I love you.”_

_He didn’t understand why his mom was crying, but he hugged her back with his tiny six year-old arms. “I love you too! Forever and ever!” he chirped. His mother cried harder._

_He got to sit in the front seat of the car. The excitement he wanted to feel was gone. His father’s grip on the steering wheel was tight. It scared him._

_His dad brought him to this place he’s never been before. He talked to this young teenager with brown hair and green eyes. His dad gave him a hug, just like his mom did. “Stay safe. I love you.”_

_He hugged his dad back, yet craned his head to gaze with curious, bright eyes. “Where’re you going?”_

_His dad stilled for a moment. “...Don’t worry about it. I-I’ll be… I love you, Tom.”_

_The kid clutched his bag to his chest, watching as his dad walked out the doors._

_The teenager gave him a small shoulder squeeze, crouching down to be on his level. “Hi! I’m Wise.”_

_His dad never came back. He lost the blanket and picture in the first house, barely managing to hold on to the bag._

_The same bag was discarded on a desk, miles and hours and days away from parents who busied themselves with more children, normal ones who didn’t spark at the fingertips._

_The young boy gently shed unknowing tears in his sleep. He wouldn’t remember this in the morning, but for now his brain replayed memories long gone, and grieved._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> broke: stay out of my head! my thoughts are private! >:(
> 
> woke: lol let me torment you via the mind
> 
> also yes i referenced the title and the following lyric in the song the title was stolen from shoot me


	3. chapter three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tommy meets the other son. why does he. why does he have pink hair why he look like that what the f

Tommy was woken up by a sharp pang in his stomach. His room was dark and cool, outside noises heard through the window he didn’t close. Oops. He groaned, rolling to his other side to see what time it was.

He sat up on his elbows, fumbling with the clock. He must have managed to hit the light button, glaringly bright numbers abruptly shining directly into his sensitive eyes. He squinted.

_2:13_

Tommy moaned, slamming the clock back on the desk and letting his head fall back onto the pillow. His stomach growled again, bringing along with it another spike of hunger.

Fat chance he could fall back asleep without eating something.

Tommy sat up on the bed, pausing for a moment to look over the room again. The window screen was still tossed aside, the curtains blowing in the faint wind. He got to his feet, hiding the screen in the closet and closing both the window and curtains.

Tommy pushed the door open, ever so grateful for this rich man and his non-squeaky doors. They just made his life so much easier.

The house looked much different at night, like Tommy expected. The fluorescent lights were turned off, leaving the hallway in darkness. His eyes had already adjusted to the dark, so slipping through the hallway silently was easy. 

He stepped down the marble staircase, thankful for the lack of creaky wooden floors. The foyer shone with moonlight, casting long shadows across the polished floor. The smooth tile felt cool, not uncomfortably so, against his covered feet. If Tommy had a chair, he would have liked to just sit and enjoy the certain vibe he got from the entryway, but hunger waits for no man. 

There was another set of stairs behind the grand marble ones, fully carpeted this time, leading down into what Tommy assumed was a basement. He could explore that later, turning into the much darker, first floor hallway. This area of the house was completely new to him, and he wasn’t too proud to admit he got lost. It just seemed like constant twisting hallways with doors peppered around at random. 

Tommy was very, very lost in this maze of a house when some moving shadow rounded the corner. He instantly froze, electricity flickering across his fingers subconsciously. His power didn’t emit that much light, especially at such a low level of usage, but Tommy was able to see the newcomer startle, completely disappearing from view.

Tommy furrowed his brow in confusion, wringing his hands out to stop the light. A spark fell to the cool tiled floor, and he cursed, stomping it out with his sock. Not the brightest idea, but instinct comes before rationality. Thankfully, his foot didn’t catch on fire. Neither did the house. Double win.

Tommy blinked, rubbing his eyes. He swore he had seen some tall humanoid thing standing there, oh god he better not be hallucinating-

He opened his eyes, and the guy was standing there again.

Tommy slammed a hand against his mouth to stop from crying out in surprise, yet he did take a few steps back. Again, light flickered across his fingers, although it quickly disappeared. 

The two stared at each other in silence. Tommy eventually broke the awkward standoff, clearing his throat. “Hey.”

The guy jolted. Tommy couldn’t see much of him, but he did see how half of his hair was pearly white, almost seeming to glow in the darkness. The other half… did he even have another half?

“Oh, hello, hi.” The guy coughed out. His voice was deep, and it could have been monotone if he got rid of all emotion. What an interesting observation. Tommy was surely going to use that information in the future. Definitely.

“Uh, what-” Tommy cut himself off. “Why am I asking what you’re doing, you probably live here-” he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair.

“Oh! I’m, uh, I’m a butler. Never liked that term, but that’s what I am, yep.” This guy had an interesting way of speaking.

“Well. I’m, uh, I’m Tommy,” Tommy said. He stuffed his hands into his jean pockets. “I would offer to shake your hand, but I’ll probably shock you or some shit.”

“I’m Ranboo.” Ranboo fidgeted with his hands a little. “I can turn invisible, but I’m sure you saw me just do that. It’s a little inconvenient, turning invisible whenever I get startled, but it has its perks.”

Tommy felt his lips tug up in a smile, despite how much he tried to keep it down. “Can you spy on people ‘n shit? That would be cool.”

“Oh, yes, I can, but I don’t usually. One time Wilbur caught me spying on him and well…” Ranboo’s form shuddered. “It wasn’t pretty.”

Tommy tilted his head, despite the fact that Ranboo probably couldn’t see him. “Who’s Wilbur?”

Ranboo froze for a moment. “O-Oh. Oh, have you seen- met this tall guy with brown hair and a yellow sweater?”

“Music boy?” Tommy asked. He thought for a moment. “Yeah, he would be a Wilbur, wouldn’t he?”

Ranboo chuckled. “What do you mean by that?”

“Y’know. Sad band boy who reads minds. Totally a Wilbur.”

“...Alright. Well, uh, is there any way I can help you?” Ranboo said after a few moments of silence.

Tommy opened his mouth to say no, but then thought for a second. He really had no idea where he was going, and he would rather not get seen by Wilbur or Phil in the morning.

“...Yeah. Yes. Uh, do you… do you know where the, uhm, kitchen is?” Tommy scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

Ranboo either didn’t see him or didn’t care, immediately seeming to perk up by the change in his tone. “Oh! Yes! I do know where that is! Follow me!”

The boy quickly turned back around the corner. Tommy slipped in his socks, trying to catch up but not being able to gain enough traction to do so. He nearly slammed into the wall but managed to stop himself. He caught sight of white hair disappearing around yet another corner. God, just how _big_ was this house?

“Hey! Boob boy! Wait up!” Tommy whisper-yelled, almost falling on the slick floor again.

Ranboo, in fact, had stopped, waiting directly past the corner. Tommy body-slammed into him at full speed, the two lanky boys crashing into the ground. Tommy’s first reaction was to roll away from Ranboo. The second thing he did was just lie on the cool tile, elbow throbbing from when he slammed it against the ground.

Ranboo sat up first, rubbing his head with a small groan. He took the blunt of the fall, and really it was a miracle he hadn’t, like, gone unconscious or hit his head against the wall or something. “Ow.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Tommy snarked, sitting up as well. He held his elbow to his chest, sending the most fearsome glare he could muster sitting on the floor at about 3 am after crashing into somebody.

Ranboo pushed himself to his feet, swaying haphazardly. He looked mere seconds from collapsing back down, and that would definitely hurt him more. Tommy got to his feet as fast as possible, and despite how much he hated touching people, grabbed Ranboo’s arm in hopes to steady him.

They stood there awkwardly for a few moments, before Ranboo gently shoved Tommy’s hand away. “I’m fine now.”

“Yeah, uh, sorry about that. My-My bad,” Tommy chuckled, slightly nervous.

“Oh no, it’s my fault, I was the one who stopped there,” Ranboo quickly said in rebuttal.

They had started walking again, although much slower this time. Tommy shot Ranboo a questioning glance, even though the taller probably didn’t see it. “Well, I was the one to run into you.”

“Only because I went too fast,” Ranboo, again, answered. It was almost as if he _wanted_ to take the blame for it.

Tommy crossed his arms, holding his elbow gingerly to his chest. It was most likely going to bruise. “You’re fucking confusing,” he mumbled.

“Yeah, I get told that a lot.”

Tommy sent the other another glance. “Is that a bad thing?”

He saw the outline of Ranboo’s shoulders lift in a shrug. They lapsed into silence after that.

The silence was short lived, as Tommy and Ranboo turned the final corner. They came into a wide room, white light bathing over marble countertops and stainless steel. Someone was already there, sitting at the kitchen island. A bowl of… something, probably cereal, sat in front of him. His hair, why was his hair a soft pink? It was long and looked very thick, the majority of it pulled back in a very messy ponytail. Tommy was worried the hair band was about to snap. 

His eyes flicked up from his phone. His eyes were brown, borderline red in the overhead lights. “Oh, hey, Ranboo.” Techno’s voice was similar to Ranboo’s, except it sounded like all the emotion had been sucked out of it. So that’s what Ranboo would sound like if he was monotone. Huh.

With the new-found source of light, Tommy could see Ranboo in all his tall glory. His hair was actually split colors, one half being the white he saw before and the other black. If Tommy squinted hard enough, he could see the beginnings of soft brown roots. Ranboo had mismatched eyes, oddly enough, one of them being a natural green and the other a violent shade of red.

“Hey Techno.” Ranboo left Tommy in the doorway, walking over to the huge fridge, and… freezer? Tommy had never seen two large appliances next to each other. Hell, he rarely saw a separate freezer, and even if there was one it was usually kept in the garage.

Ranboo rummaged around, pulling out an ice pack and grabbing a pale blue towel. Tommy lingered, fidgeting slightly. He was still hungry, but he wasn’t sure he was exactly _allowed_ to get something. Some houses have rules, and this may be one of them.

Techno saw him, finally. He raised a pink eyebrow. How dedicated was this guy to dye his eyebrows?

“Hi,” Techno said, short and curt.

Tommy jolted slightly. “Oh, hi.”

Techno stared at him, making Tommy feel trapped under his piercing gaze. Finally, _finally,_ the guy looked away, returning to his phone. “You can get something, you know. Nobody’s gonna shoot you.”

Tommy took a few hesitant steps forward. Ranboo had hopped up on the counter, pressing the pack to the side of his head. He caught Tommy’s eyes, and gestured to a slightly transparent door. Inside, Tommy could see selves and some blurry shapes of boxes and bags. “Take whatever you want. If there’s nothing you like, I can let Phil know, and we can get stuff you want from the store next time we go.”

Tommy gave him a cautious look. Food had always been rare, and most of the time Tommy barely got enough to keep hunger at bay. The luxury of getting stuff he wanted was like some sort of fantasy. Surely Ranboo was lying. Surely.

Whatever.

Tommy opened the pantry door. He was glad he was facing away from Ranboo, because the look of complete disbelief on his face would have been embarrassing. 

Why did these people have so much food?

The stuff was neatly organized, cereal on one shelf, weird protein bars on the other. There were, like, four shelves dedicated to snacks and junk food. Near the bottom, tons of cans were pushed all the way to the wall, dozens on dozens of canned soups, corns, and beans. There were a bunch of bottled and canned soda that took up two shelves worth of space. Tommy couldn’t remember the last time he drank soda.

Tommy scanned the snack sections. He settled on grabbing a random bag of chips (he didn’t really have a favorite since he didn’t get to eat chips that often), and a bottle of soda, current time be damned.

Ranboo was still sitting on the counter, although he must have put the ice pack away. He hopped off the counter, taking a few backwards steps to retreat back into the hallway. “You were walking in circles earlier, by the way. That’s why you got lost. Just stick to the left wall and you’ll end up back at the foyer.”

And then he was gone, leaving Tommy with this weird, pink haired Techno guy. Tommy idled by the pantry door, not knowing what exactly to do. He was seconds from fleeing back to his room when Techno spoke up.

“You’re the kid who figured out Wilbur’s powers in a single minute, right?”

Tommy was torn between agreeing or angrily yelling about how he wasn’t a child. Considering the time and the people probably sleeping, he settled on a simple “Yep.”

Tommy set the stuff on the closest counter, not yet confident enough to go over and sit. “So… you guys got a dining room or anything?”

Techno pointed to another doorway, practically hidden in the shadows.

“Ah.”

Tommy fidgeted with the edge of his shirt. This guy really didn’t know how to socialize, huh?

“You, uh, you got any powers, big man?”

“Technically, no.”

Tommy waited a bit for Techno to continue. When it was obvious he wouldn’t, Tommy sighed through his nose, grabbing the stuff from the countertop. When he turned back around, Techno was studying Tommy again with those firm eyes. 

“Are you a runner?” This pink-haired man and his blunt questions.

Tommy shrugged, tracing circles on the floor with the tip of his toe. “Depends,” he mumbled.

Techno hummed, standing up with his empty bowl in hand. “If you’re gonna run, let one of us know. We try not to stress Phil out more than he already is, fighting… well, bad people and all that.” 

Tommy jerked his head in a hasty nod. This guy was tall and buff and very intimidating and could most likely pack a punch.

Techno glanced at him one last time before somehow silently walking away. Tommy was left frozen, standing in the abandoned kitchen. It felt cold, suddenly, too cold for comfort.

Before he left, he grabbed another soda and two more bags of chips. He distantly wondered how many he could take without getting beat, but that was a worry for another time. For now, he escaped back to his room with his hoard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys guys guys i have so much angst planned im so excited you have no idea guys omg i cant wait 
> 
> also im sorry if the house geometry is weird i literally do not know what it means to have big house. ill try to make it make more sense later. for now uh just blame it on tommy being stupid and not being able to see.
> 
> i hope you all have a good day / night! <3


	4. chapter four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi wise you promised you would take your pills and eat once i posted this so please do that before reading thank you ily <3

Tommy must have fallen back asleep.

He woke up slowly, sprawled across the bed. A sliver of sunlight shone through a crack in the curtains. He still had his shoes on, and he kicked them off irritably. 

Tommy sat up, groggy and disoriented. He felt like shit, an odd taste in his mouth and general sense of dirtiness. It was something a shower could fix, but that would involve probably talking to someone. 

The time on his clock read _10:37_ in the morning. Just great, really, that he slept in this long.

There were empty bags of chips on the desk, only one soda not being open. He had a faint memory of stuffing his face late last night. Tommy dumped them in the wire trash can next to the desk. His clothes felt scratchy against his skin, a sign that he had worn them for too long. He only had two spare shirts and an extra pair of pants, though, and he wanted to keep those clean for as long as possible.

He dropped that thought, instead stumbling over to the door. He wouldn’t be proud to admit he almost fell over his own feet on the way there. God, he really needed to shower. Tubbo said Tommy was free to use the shower, right?

Nobody was around in the hallway to see him ever-so-gracefully trip into the bathroom. Tommy closed the door behind him, locking it with a sigh through his nose. The bathroom was, of course, fancy. It was on the larger side with shimmering lights and a marble sink top. The faucet looked... rich was the best way to describe it. The shower was big, with two nozzles. There was this weird-looking towel rack that had a plug dangling next to an outlet. Why a towel rack would need power was beyond Tommy.

He opened the cabinet under the sink, finding a stack of fluffy pale blue towels. He pulled one out, tossing it on the rack. His eyes flicked to double check that yes, the door was locked, before he quickly stripped down. Didn’t need anyone walking in on him or something like that.

It took him a few moments to figure out how the shower worked. The water heated up instantly. Tommy, who was used to houses that took forever for the water to warm up, yanked his hand out from under the two separate heads with a small hiss. He twisted the knob back and forth until he got it at a stable temperature.

The shower was quick, lasting seven minutes at most. It was a force of habit, really, to not take the time to enjoy the warm water. 

Tommy was out of the shower at record pace, scrubbing his hair with the towel furiously. Steam was visible in the air, completely fogging the mirror over, but he had no problem with that. He didn’t need to see the painful reminders of just how horrible other people could be on his chest.

Despite how little he wanted to, Tommy got back into his old clothes. He shoved down the feeling of dirtiness and slid out of the bathroom. But before he could hide back in his room, a familiar voice called his name.

“Hey, Tommy!”

Tommy resisted letting out an annoyed sigh, turning to Tubbo. The boy trotted up with that happy-go-lucky smile, floppy ears perked. He was dressed in fresh clothes, but that was no surprise, considering how rich Phil was.

“Do you like the shower?” Tubbo asked. “It was amazing the first few times I used it.”

“Fine, I guess,” Tommy forced himself to mumble, pointedly avoiding eye contact.

“Well, Phil made breakfast and wanted me to come see if you wanted any.” Tubbo, undeterred as always, continued. “Of course, you don’t have to, but I’m sure Techno and Wilbur and Phil are all done by now.”

Tommy shrugged, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Food sounded amazing, but he really didn’t know if he was allowed to go eat. 

Tubbo turned his back to Tommy, which was either a sign of trust or just dumbness. The boy glanced behind his shoulder when Tommy didn’t immediately follow. “Well, come on, then!”

Tommy followed Tubbo, who enthusiastically bounced down the stairs. The action reminded him of a happy ram. How Tubbo had that much energy was a mystery to Tommy.

“After you eat I can take you on a house tour!” Tubbo excitedly rambled. “There’s so many cool things to do and Phil won’t mind if you use anything at all.”

Tommy tried to shove down his small smile, but it was no use. Tubbo’s playfulness leaked from him like radiation poisoning, infecting everyone in the nearby vicinity.

The pathway to the kitchen was much less confusing with all the lights on. There were a lot less rooms than Tommy remembered. There was a separate hallway that branched off, coming back another door down. That must have been where Tommy got ‘lost,’ helplessly circling around. Tubbo continued straight, and the pair popped into the kitchen.

Like Tubbo had said, the kitchen seemed to recently be abandoned, all except for the tall boy with split hair sitting at the counter, munching on a poptart and scrolling through a phone. 

“Hey Ranboo!” Tubbo greeted, going to rummage through the pantry.

Ranboo set his phone down with a clatter. “Hey Tubbo.” His monochrome eyes settled on Tommy, and Ranboo gave a small wave. Tommy nodded in return.

“What kind of cereal do you like?” Tubbo yelled from inside the pantry, making Tommy jump.

“I-I dunno.” Tommy tentatively sat one of the counter stools. Ranboo paid him no mind, picking up his phone again.

Tubbo came back out of the pantry with a box of cereal that Tommy didn’t recognize. He plopped it down on the counter, going to the massive fridge and pulling a jug of milk out. Tommy watched as Tubbo rummaged through the cabinets and drawers with familiarity, getting two bowls and spoons. After serving himself, he slid everything over to Tommy.

Tubbo took a seat next to him, but somehow he didn’t feel like he was intruding on Tommy’s personal space. After a few tense moments, Tommy reluctantly served himself. The cereal wasn’t half bad in Tommy’s book. Then again, he only really had off-brand cereal before, so he probably wasn’t the best judge.

Ranboo put the stuff away, wandering away to another part of the house. Tubbo enthusiastically chatted about anything and everything, not discouraged by Tommy’s half-assed responses. He talked about the school he went to, _“Almost everyone there has some sort of power!”_ Wilbur’s musical ability, _“He helped me learn the ukulele!”_ bees, _“Oh my god I love bees,”_ and other random topics. Tommy learned that Techno was good with a sword and often practiced with the neighbors, who were, in Tubbo’s words, _“Really strong and cool.”_ Phil would sometimes take the shape of any animal, whatever he felt the most comfortable in at the time. Sometimes these animals were quite large, and that was the reason for the wide hallways and high ceilings. 

The bowls were long empty, yet Tommy didn’t feel the urge to hide back in his bedroom. He slowly warmed up to Tubbo, sharing small things about himself and who he met. Like Wise, the woman with too many kids to count, or that old grandma he stayed with for a while who would force him to drink this really gross tea. Instead of getting sad and pitying about his life, Tubbo laughed along. Tommy couldn’t stop grinning. He forgot how good it felt to make someone laugh.

Tubbo suddenly gasped. “I almost forgot. Come on, I wanna show you the house!”

He didn’t touch Tommy, but Tommy felt like he was pulled along. “What about the dishes?”

“I’ll wash them later, now come on!” Tubbo dashed away, somehow controlling his momentum despite wearing socks.

Tommy gave chase, his bare feet hitting the ground rhythmically. Tubbo halted in front of a door, bending his knees and keeping his balance as he slid a short distance. He motioned Tommy over, opening the door loudly. “This is, like, the craft room.”

Tommy stepped in after Tubbo, lingering in the doorway. The window’s colorful curtain was open, sunlight spilling in. A large desk took up most of the space, the wood worn and covered in paint splotches and scratches. There was a rack of paint, brushes neatly organized beside it. An easel was propped on top of a long piece of tarp, waiting to be used. There were a bunch of plastic and metal water bottles, wood and nails, basically anything you would need to create something.

Tubbo didn’t spend long there, booking it back out of the room. There was an in-person movie theatre, a room Tubbo referred to as the ‘gaming room,’ two libraries or studies, and some sort of gym. One of the doors Tubbo passed by, saying it was Phil’s room and it was probably better if they leave it alone.

Next to the kitchen, there was a large living room with a huge TV and couch. One of those enormous beanbags was plopped in the corner, a blanket tossed on top. It had a very family feel, and Tommy wasn’t quite sure what to think about that.

Tubbo took him then to the staircase leading down to the basement. The carpet felt worn down on Tommy’s feet. Tubbo dropped down the stairs ahead of him, flickering lights on as he went. It didn’t take them long to reach the bottom floor. There was a short hallway with two seperate doors on each side.

“Wilbur and Sam are the main people who use this,” Tubbo rambled. “Wilbur likes the quiet soundproof room and he records most of his stuff in here. Sam’s workshop is loud, though, so Wilbur records in his bedroom whenever Sam is working.”

“Who’s Sam?” Tommy bluntly asked, cutting the brunette off.

“I’m Sam,” somebody said, the door suddenly being opened. Tommy jumped away, startled.

Tubbo, bless his heart, didn’t mention it. “Hi Sam!”

‘Sam’ was really tall. His hair was dyed a violent shade of green. Why anyone would want to dye their hair such an eyesore of a color was way beyond Tommy. 

He had some sort of mechanic’s goggles sitting on his forehead. He was wearing somewhat dirty clothes, a toolbelt hanging around his waist. He was fairly mussled, which, combined with his height, made him very intimidating.

There was the sound of some machine and hollow banging against the cement floor in his workshop, and suddenly a metal _thing_ was trying to shove its head between Sam’s legs. The man laughed, petting the thing on its metal snout.

“Are you scared of dogs?” Sam suddenly asked Tommy. There seemed to be genuine curiosity and well-being behind those dark brown, almost black eyes, yet Tommy felt an immense pressure to answer.

“N-No, dogs are fine,” he said quickly, trying not to upset Sam. Lord knows what the man would do if he got mad.

Sam laughed again as the metal snout continued to try to push his legs apart. He stepped to the side, and a fully metal dog ran forward. It excitedly bent down, sniffing Tommy’s shoes with interest.

“That’s Fran. Don’t worry, she won’t bite unless she detects you’re a threat.”

The dog opened ~~it’s~~ her mouth, letting out a robotic bark that somehow fit her. She pushed her snout into Tommy’s palm, basically begging to be pet. Tommy genuinely smiled, patting the dog on her metal head. Something whirred inside her, and her tail started wagging furiously. 

“Aw, she likes you,” Tubbo said. At the sound of his voice, Fran eagerly hopped over, giving him a good sniff before demanding pets as well.

“As you can probably tell, my power is being really good with machinery,” Sam started, startling Tommy a little again. “I just know how the pieces fit together and work. It sounds lame, but I mean, I made Fran by hand.”

At her name, Fran bounded back to Sam’s side, sitting next to his feet. Golden eyes that were a few shades lighter than her bronze exterior studied Tommy, tongue lolling out as she panted. Sam grinned at the dog, scratching Fran behind the ears. Tubbo’s ears flattened at the unpleasant sound, but Fran loved it, leaning into the touch lovingly. 

“I’ve got to get back to working on Phil’s current project,” Sam said, Fran bounding into the workhouse behind him. “But feel free to drop by anytime!”

Tubbo led Tommy away with a happy farewell, tracing their steps back to the ‘gaming room.’ Tubbo taught him how to play Mario Kart, and Tommy wouldn’t be lying if he said he had the most fun in his life in that room, playing a game with a kid he only met a day ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long wait this chapter got ahold of a knife and stabbed me multiple times in the chest and i had to go to the hospital and was bedridden for many years while an old lady took care of my mortal body and then i came back better than ever with a gun and a vengeance to rival satan and shot this chapter to death
> 
> sorry this is a bit more on the filler side but the next chapter. oh boy.


	5. hindsight's a wonderful thing when we're all experts who pretend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tommy's first screw-up (he swears it's not as bad as it sounds).
> 
> chapter title: hangin' - bastille

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: borderline panic attack! tommy doesnt get to that point but he does get close! just a heads up :)

It had been a few days since Tommy first came to Phil’s house. 

He spent most of his time with Tubbo, Ranboo usually tagging along as well. It was impossible to be bored in the house, even with Tommy’s constant restlessness. There always seemed to be something to occupy his attention.

His room was no longer bare, three crudely drawn paintings hanging above the desk and small trinkets sprinkled around the room. Ranboo kept distracting him as he nailed in the hand-made paintings, making them crooked. Tommy loved them, although he would rather die than admit it out loud.

He talked to Phil and his sons a few times, but the interactions were always awkward and tense. He didn’t know how he could ever feel like family with them. They were too close knit for anyone else to squirm their way into their circle. 

That morning, Tommy decided he was gonna make an effort to have breakfast with them. He didn’t want to get close to them, no, he just… wanted to talk. Once they know him, they’ll send him back.

This was only temporary.

He made his way to the stairs, freezing at the top step. Phil, Techno, Wilbur, and Tubbo were all standing around the door. Everyone except Tubbo was dressed in… fighting wear? They all had masks on, Phil with a black bird, Techno with a pig, and Wilbur with some sort of fish. Did Techno have a sword?

Ah. They must be going to do superhero things.

Phil gave Tubbo a hug before stepping out the door. Wilbur ruffled his hair. Techno just walked by Tubbo like he wasn’t there. There was the sound of a truck starting, and then they were gone.

Well. So much for a family breakfast.

Tubbo turned away from the door, spotting Tommy standing awkwardly at the top of the staircase. He waved Tommy down. He started talking before Tommy even reached him.

“Phil and them are-There was this robbery, yeah? A bank robbery, sounds cliche, but someone called the cops and then the cops called Phil so they’re gonna go stop it,” Tubbo rambled as the pair walked to breakfast.

Tommy gave Tubbo an incredulous look. “A _bank_ robbery? Was that the best they could think of?”

Tubbo shrugged, skipping down the hallway. “Maybe today we could meet the neighbors. Techno doesn’t like them too much, but he isn’t here, so he can’t do anything about it.”

Tommy huffed a laugh. “Okay Tubbo. You couldn’t defend yourself if Techno decided to kick your ass. You don’t even have a power.”

“But I have _speed!”_ Tubbo took off, despite the kitchen being right in front of them. He nearly crashed into the counter but managed to avoid it.

Tommy rolled his eyes but followed. He was starting to like Tubbo. It was a shame that they probably wouldn't talk again after Tommy left.

* * *

After breakfast, Tubbo dragged Tommy to the backyard through a large glass backdoor. The backyard looked mostly the same, aside from wooden stick-like swords discarded in the grass next to the bushes.

“The neighbors are right over there,” Tubbo said, pointing to the house next to them. “There’s a gap in the fence they like to go through. They like to chase each other through the woods. It may take them a bit to get here.”

Tubbo looked at Tommy expectantly. Tubbo gave the shorter a cautious, questioning look. “...What.”

Tubbo took a small step closer. Tommy laughed nervously, holding his hands up. “What do you want, man?”

“Do the thing!” Tubbo said, grinning from ear to fluffy ear like the idiot he was.

Tommy had a suspicion about what Tubbo was talking about, but feigned ignorance. “Do what? You’re not giving me shit to work with.”

“You know! Your power!”

Tommy felt dread twist down his spine, hands shaking a little subconsciously. He swallowed, giving Tubbo a fake grin in preparation to tell him no. But before he could open his mouth and move his tongue to form the sound, he caught sight of the emotion in Tubbo’s eyes. There was a tiny spark of desperate hope, some hint of an undying adoration.

It must be hard to live in a house where everyone has powers except for you, huh?

So Tommy let out a mock annoyed sigh, letting the word of denial die in his throat. “Alright.”

“Yes!” Tubbo’s entire face lit up, more than it had been before at least.

Tommy took a few breaths to calm himself. There was no way this went wrong, right? He just had to keep a lid on his powers. He would show Tubbo, then he would shove all that energy into the box it came from.

Yeah. It couldn’t go wrong.

Tommy smiled, trying to keep the uneasiness from his expression. “Watch this, motherfucker.”

Tommy let just a small bit out, the tiniest shred of energy possible. Light danced along his fingers, dangerous to touch. Still, Tubbo leaned closer, watching with rapt attention. His eyes were wide and quite starstruck. A softer smile squeezed its way onto Tommy’s face, but Tubbo wasn’t looking to see it.

“Alright, that’s enough, big man,” Tommy finally said, beginning to feel less and less in control of his power. Tubbo let out a slightly disappointed huff.

Tommy focused, but suddenly his power wasn’t obeying him. He narrowed his eyes, feeling like he was trying to hold onto a slippery ice cube, the ice cube being his power and his desperate grasping his control over his power. Eventually he fumbled one last time, and the ice slid from his fingers, breaking to small shards on the floor.

He felt his hold crack.

“Tubbo,” Tommy said, voice wavering. “You-you might wanna back away from me.”

Tubbo tilted his head in question. He did the exact opposite of what Tommy asked, taking a step forward. “Why? What’s wrong?”

Tommy took stumbling steps backwards. “I-I can’t-” Panic made him cut himself off, breath erratic and harsh.

Tubbo said something, but Tommy couldn’t hear over the roaring static in his ears. His eyesight became tinted, a very light shade of blue filtering everything he saw. Bad sign, bad sign, this whole thing was one big bad sign. Energy slipped through his desperate grasp, too much too much he was gonna hurt someone, and that someone would be Tubbo, wouldn’t it?

Fear and panic clouded his brain, making his power pump out harder. His hands subconsciously reached to tug at his hair, a neat tactic he learned to help ground himself while bouncing from homes like a ping-pong ball. He felt shocks when his fingers came in contact with his hair, but they weren’t painful. If anything, they boosted his panic, because that would mean the lightning was in his hair, and then that would mean he was totally losing control.

Oh, that’s what was happening. He was losing control.

No no no no _no._

Tommy curled in on himself slightly, his breaths leaving in frantic stutters. Tubbo was saying something, loud and quick, or maybe it wasn’t Tubbo. Either way, Tommy found himself taking more steps back. He didn’t want to hurt anyone. As long as Tubbo got the hint and let Tommy be, they would both be fine.

Tommy was far too deep in his mind to notice someone approaching. All he felt was a sudden shock of cold and wet, and he snapped out of it. The cackling energy disappeared with an abrupt halt, leaving Tommy tired and freaked out.

Somebody flung Tommy’s arm across their shoulder, not flinching from the shock they surely got from touching him. Normally, Tommy would struggle and push until he was freed from human contact, but his mind was still stuck in that loop of panic. He coughed a few times on impulse.

The strong arms practically carried him over to the wall house, sitting him down. Tommy brought his legs up to his chest, curling into as tight of a ball as possible. The person sat beside him, not that he really noticed.

Tommy’s breathing stuttered again. He had almost completely lost control. He could have burned down the forest, fuck, he could have burned down Phil’s very rich, very expensive house. He could have _killed_ Tubbo.

The person beside him cleared his throat to get Tommy’s attention. “Hey man. You good there?”

Tommy raised his head from his legs. There were two people talking with Tubbo. The young boy waved his arms enthusiastically, blissfully unaware of how close Tommy had been to hurting him. He turned to look at the person sitting next to him.

The guy looked maybe eighteen or nineteen. He had long, messy black hair, a white bandana keeping it all out of his face. He was dressed pretty comfortably, wearing sweatpants and slip-on vans. The t-shirt he had over a long-black sleeved shirt had a small fire patch. Everything about the guy screamed fire.

The guy glanced at him, meeting his eyes with a semi-confident smile. His eyes were a very dark shade of blue, reminding Tommy of dark ocean water for some reason. “You almost lost control there.”

Tommy huffed, turning back to look in front of him. “Of course I did. Fuckface,” he added in for good measure.

The guy let out a small laugh, holding up a hand in surrender. “Woah there man. Just trying to make small talk.”

Tommy grunted in response. Small talk his ass.

“Is your power hard to control?” the other asked.

Tommy considered swearing vehemently in denial at him again, but what was the point, really? “I supp- Yes. Yeah, it is. Why, do you got a power?”

The guy held out a hand. “Sure do. Hold on a sec.”

Tommy fully expected the guy to let loose flames across his palms. What surprised him was the water that swirled up, treads braiding together gracefully. The water shaped itself into a ball, the man narrowing his eyes at the group. Suddenly, he threw the ball, water spinning to nail the guy with the blue shirt in the back of the head. The guy whirled around indignantly. “What the- Sapnap!”

‘Sapnap’ just grinned. The other let out a very angry sigh, purposefully turning his back on Tommy and Sapnap.

“I like messing with him. He really wanted water, since it’s really easy to control, and I really wanted fire, ‘cause fire is really cool.” Sapnap’s smile dimmed slightly. “God must hate us, because I got water and George got fire.”

Tommy tilted his head at the blue-shirt guy, George. He really did seem like the water type, calm and… well, boring. “Wow, that fuckin’ sucks, doesn’t it?”

Sapnap shrugged, leaning back on the brick wall. “I think I got the easier way out. Water’s very easy to contain. Fire, though… you don’t want to know how many times George nearly burned something. He never likes using it. The easiest way to get rid of the excess is for him to stand there and throw fireballs into water like an idiot.”

Tommy nodded a little. “Wish I could find a safe way,” he mumbled, picking at his shoe.

Sapnap wasn’t supposed to hear it, but he did. Of course he did. “We can set up some practicing stuff. I bet you’ve never trained your power before, right?”

Tommy hesitantly shook his head. Sapnap’s face split into a grin. He didn’t seem to notice the way Tommy flinched when he clapped a hand on the teen’s shoulder. “Oh, we’re gonna have _so_ much fun!”

Tommy was already regretting his decision.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ill use lyrics as titles whenever i feel like it and they fit (usually for chapters i deem "important"). so a special chapter can usually be spotted by a special title. gaming moment


	6. going on hiatus lol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> taking a break. please read if you want more info :D

hi guys! it's me, taye, your local unreliable author

so uh as you can tell by the title change and chapter title... im going on hiatus

**IM NOT DISCONTINUING THIS STORY!!! I WILL COME BACK!!!** (hopefully)

but as of right now, literally all inspiration and motivation have disappeared. they are hiding somewhere and i cannot seem to find them. i may suddenly get my groove back and publish a new chapter in like a week (unlikely) or it may take... idk a month. uh its an undefined amount of time really

okay to explain why

my dumb brain got mad at the lack of tommy content and i had recently started taking small interest in this game called "friday night funkin." long story short an artist i followed on insta posted fnf art and that was that. im now hyperfixtating on this stupid game lolol (boyfriend my beloved). if anyone else here is a fan of fnf im thinking abt writing something based off the corruption mod so maybe stay tuned for that i suppose ahaha

anyways yeah! thats about it i guess. this au is really great and i really want to continue it but i just _cant_ force myself to write when i have no motivation. if i do end up discontinuing this fic, ill delete this chapter and post a new one just to let you all know. hopefully it doesnt comes to that :(

i hope you all have a good day / night! remember: you're valid and i love you /p <3

**Author's Note:**

> [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/ttaye_z/)  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/taye_z)  
> [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/taye-z)  
> join this cool discord server: https://discord.gg/X4XgxcfERb


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